OPEN SEASON FOR NEW CLUBS

By Daily News and Features Staff

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS|

Sep 27, 1997 | 12:00 AM

TIMES SQUARE WELCOMES A NEW two-story musical showplace when the China Club opens on 47th St. and Eighth Ave. in early November. The 8,000-square-foot first level will serve as a restaurant and cocktail lounge, and there will be a stage for cabaret and jazz acts. The second level, which will feature rock, swing and Top 40 artists, will offer a mahogany bar, a dance floor and a stage large enough to accommodate a 15-piece band. The club is being headed by Daniel Fried and Michael Barrett, who created the original China Club at Broadway and 75th St., which will be closed in the near future. The new place also will offer club membership; the benefits would include preferential seating and admission, and invitations to special shows. THE PUBLIC THEATRE WILL BE opening a cabaret room called Joe's Pub on Dec. 11 at 425 Lafayette St. Named after the Public's famed founder, Joe Papp, it'll be booked according to themes, such as world music, the spoken word and American composers. Weekend shows will feature one-person shows (Lea DeLaria, Dec. 18-20); Sunday teas will include discussions with theater legends. SPEAKING OF CABARET, THERE'S word that an upscale room will be opening on Restaurant Row most likely at the Firebird Russian Restaurant, 365 W. 46th St. Details are still in negotiations, but an announcement could come as early as next week.